So I've been super busy...The orders just keep on coming!...July has been my most busy month to date. It's been fun tho, but since it's been such a long time since I updated, let's jump right on into the cakes...I have big news that I'll share at the end...so you have to scroll to the bottom :P
(Wow just realised I havent updated since March)
In April I wanted to make an Easter cake...I felt the urge to practice some basketweave with brown buttercream, make it look realistic. Since my family still protests about the amount of cake in the house at any given time, I made it tiny and we just had it for Easter Lunch

There are some cupcakes in the back each with flowers on top. I really like the look of the brown basketweave. If this was for an actual order i would have added some handles to really complete it.
Also I was asked to do a cake with cupcakes for my ten year old cousin's birthday (pretty last minute, but ti's family so it's ok) Apparently, he is a fan of Naruto. I actually have a good working knowledge of Naruto, but I had a bit of trouble with this cake as I am not a character artist. I am ood at abstract things, but with a cartoon character, it mut be an exact repliba or else it will just look wonky. I tried anyway..I liek a challenge :)

Knowing that fondant is an acquired taste for some, I figured it would be the most safe thing to go with buttercream star fill in with a fondant plaque for the character. Using the same cutout method I used for the Betty Boop cake, I made my fondant Naruto. Now while I know it's not a perfect replica, I think it's pretty OK, especially for a non artist.

At first the eyes looked quite elvish and cutesy, and I needed to get them more intense, so I'm pretty satisfied with the fact that I don't feel the need squeeze his cheeks when I see it anymore. I also made 50 coordinated cupcakes, some orange, some blueand some yellow.

In May, I had big plans for Mother's Day. My sister and I decided we wanted to have brunch as my mother is a huge fan of cutesy, cakey things (let's not forget she is the reason for the name)
Weeks prior we decided on a menu and got ingredients (we hid them in the back of the fridge). I did some of the preparation beforehand, but most of the baking for the brunch took place the NIGHT before (with the help of my sous-chef sister). We were up till maybe 4am, then back up again at 7 to warm up the stuff and finish the things that needed to be done the day of. I'm pretty proud of how it all came together, and the menu is pretty expansive:

Quiche Florentine
Choux Puffs with Crab
Spinach and Mushroom Pinwheels
Grilled Kielbasa
Caprese Pasta Salad
 Glazed Ham and Biscuits
French Breakfast Puffs
Assorted Rugleach
Praline Ice Cream in almond cups
Palmiers
Pineapple Rum Cakes
French Bread and Cheese

Nice right? There was enough for the 5 of us and my aunt and some extras for coworkers.

Speaking of coworkers, the next cake I made was for someone who has become one of my biggest supporters. Her family requested a Red Velvet cake and I was all to happy to oblige :)

It got rave reviews and I'm pretty excited it did. I used white chocolate buttercream which I think adds a nice chocolate flavour tat compliments the chocolate in the cake. I was told that half of the cake didn't even make it home...the office gobbled it up!

Meanwhile, while reading Rose's Heavenly cakes, I noticed she is featuring alot of "undressed" cake in this book. There is a certain beauty to jus a plain cake with no adornment....to me it's pretty inviting....and that says alot considering I'm constantly surrounded by cake.
The best way for me to present an unadorned cake is by using a Bundt pan. I've been experimenting with bundt cakes and rum cakes and this one was a Banana Walnut rum cake baked in my new Bundt pan. This went to the Inn next door and I'm told it went over amazingly.

Next up was a semi last minute order (but it's somewhat family so it's ok ;))

It was a Kahlua mocha cake with mocha buttercream.

This cake sparked somewhat of a tidal wave. I usually make a taster cake along with the real one so I can make sure they taste as good as they look, and my dad declared this was the best cake ever (he's a coffee nut) and demanded I bake another. I did bake a less adorned one for the family with a simple chocolate ganache. My aunt tasted a slice and requested another one for a birthday.Needless to say this is now a go-to recipe for people who *love* chocolate and I think since this one I've made it like6 times. I also experimented with ganache on this little cutie

Oh I guess I should mention that in between tis cake and the next cake was the best day in the whole year. MY BIRTHDAY. While I specifically requested a non-cake (I like cookies personally), it's a tradition to have a birthday cake (that and apparently nowhere in Trinidad makes cookie cakes...not for long tho :D )
My family got me a dulce de leche cake and of course I made one for my self. While it sounds a little odd, I personally LOVED making myself a cake. The pressure of "omg is it level? Is it going to fall? are the shells even?" (I'm a bit obsessive) didn't exist.......while I made the cake to my tastes....turns out everyone LOVED the cake I made, even people who dislike chocolate...it was a chocolate cake with salted caramel and caramel ganache....mmmm......
hey look I found a pic of it on my sister's phone LOL...crappiest picture to date but hey...Happy Birthday to meeeee

OH I also got a cake baked for me from my honorary brother who never bakes....so thank you :)


Anyway...the next cake was a request from a woman who said he mother is a diva, so much so that her nickname is young diva. As I am an aspiring young diva myself, i knew instantly that we probably shared a love of animal print. So I suggested a purse cake as these are usually nice attenion getters. I didn't really take good pictures of this one because the weather was against me (humidity+gumpaste= heartattack!!) and it was a mad rush to get it done. Please note the gumpaste bamboo handles STILL drying in the background...3 days later! I'm supposed to be getting some pictures from the person who ordered...I'm excited to see if the surprise went over well!

I'm told "Young Diva" loved it and it tasted great as well (yeh it was one of the 6 Kahlua cakes)








Next cake up was one I was happy to work on because it was for one of my BFFs. She wanted black forest before she tasted a Tiramisu at a wedding and fell in love with it. So Tiramisu it was.

And because it was for a BFF, I even drove it the 45 minutes to drop it at her door. Except with the traffic in Trinidad these days, it turned out to be like 1.5 hours....but it's ok because she apparently loved it and her mom (whom I love) continues to rave about it. (Thanks Mrs C!)

Right after this, I had to work on a cupcake tree/mini cake setup for a 21st birthday. I was supremely flattered that I was considered to do the cake so I was glad to do this one. The birthday girl is a shoe fanatic and I had the best time designing and creating these little high-heeled shoes out of gumpaste and fondant to top each cupcake...I had little hitches with them...the A/C dripping all over them and redoing them and the humidity once again...but I love the way it turned out...and I finally got to use my custom tree display...yay :)
I'm waiting for the pictures from the birthday girl herself but I managed to snap these during the baking and setup

I can't wait for the pictures! I loved these little shoes.

My aunt requested dessert for a lunch at her inn so I threw together something real quick

Half of them are coffee chiffon cakes with caramel filling and drizzle and alf are kahlua (again) lava cakes with chcocoate ganache...both are served with dulce de leche whipped cream...I was kind of inspired by frappucinos for these can you tell?

This last cake was for the same person who ordered the red velvet cake....it's her birthday...and she requested an Argentina cake...as a Brazil supporter, a part of me wanted to say no j/k. But after both teams disappointed (still love you Brazil!) I knew we had a shared disappointment and I respected the fact that she didnt change the cake lol...I dub this the no bandwagonist cake! :)

I wasnt around to deliver it but I was told it didnt make it out of the car whole LOL so I'm glad I snapped this shot of it.

And now the big news!
I went to register my buisness!! I'm now a business owner...how scary :S

Ok I'll write more soon...I've got a kickass cake coming up that I'm super excited about :)